Interstitial Thermoradiotherapy in the Treatment of Malignant Tumors

Abstract

The history of using heat to treat diseases (tumors) dates back as far as 400 b.c. Recent interest, however, in using heat to treat human malignancies is based on biological and clinical research of the past 2 decades. Most of the current experience with hyperthermia is with external local hyperthermia and superficial tumors (Perez and Emami 1989). Significant problems exist with this type of heating such as: The inability of external applicators to achieve the correct temperature within the target volume and a lack of adequate depth of penetration. Interstitial hyperthermia appears to be a suitable alternative in certain clinical situations. It has several advantages (Emami et al. 1987): (a) More uniform heating within the target volume, (b) more accurate and comprehensive temperature measurement, (c) there is probably better sparing of normal tissue due to the fact that the elements are implanted within the tumor only, and (d) suitable for both deep and superficial tumors.